San Francisco, California – On February 27, Bay Area Blacks In Philanthropy(BABIP) celebrated its 20th Anniversary at the St. Regis Hotel San Francisco. BABIP was founded in the early 1990s as a regional membership organization serving the needs of philanthropic professionals, individual donors, and Black community-serving nonprofits in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Dr. Jackie Copeland-Carson, President of Copeland Carson & Associates and founder of Black Philanthropy Month, delivered the keynote address. In her remarks, she presented a path for 21st century philanthropy with “new principles for high impact Black giving.”

“Black philanthropy expresses a faith in a future where hurt can be healed, hope redeemed and justice nurtured,” said Dr. Copeland-Carson. “Especially in these days and times, this faith in giving to create a better future needs to be a basic tenet of our culture to counter the rising tide of cynicism, pessimism and apathy emerging in some corners of our community.”

Guests were treated to an evening of music, delicacies and the presence of award-winning KTVU Channel 2 News Anchor Dave Clark, the program’s emcee. “Tonight’s wide range of guests—individual philanthropists and non-profit, foundation and civic leaders—are a testament to the sweeping impact Bay Area Blacks In Philanthropy has in our community. The work of this organization to hold up what is working in Black philanthropy is second to none,” observed Clark.

All awardees received a handcrafted Shona sculpture designed by Zimbabwean artist Bronson Gengezha. Each recipient also gave remarks, touching upon their varied entry points into the world of philanthropy and why they continue to give.

The mission of BABIP is to advance the interests of African Americans in philanthropy and address the impact of racial disparity within philanthropic institutions and African American communities in the San Francisco Bay Area.